Our book group choice for November 2013 is Stoner by John Williams. William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family.
Stoner is a 1965 novel by the American writer John Williams. It follows the life of William Stoner, a farm boy turned English professor, from his boyhood in Missouri to his death in his sixties. The novel is notable for its quiet, understated style and its exploration of themes of love, loss, and the meaning of life.
Stoner is born into a poor farming family in Missouri in 1894. He is a bright student, and he wins a scholarship to the University of Missouri. At college, he studies agriculture, but he soon realizes that his true passion is literature. He changes his major, and he graduates with honors.
After college, Stoner takes a job as an instructor at the University of Missouri. He is a dedicated teacher, and he soon earns a reputation as a scholar of English literature. However, he is also a quiet and unassuming man, and he never achieves the same level of success as his more ambitious colleagues.
Stoner is a quietly moving novel that explores the themes of love, loss, and the meaning of life. It is a story about a man who finds his true calling in life, but who never achieves the same level of success as his more ambitious colleagues. Stoner is a reminder that even the most ordinary lives can be filled with meaning and beauty.
Here are some additional details about the novel:
- The novel is set in the early 20th century, and it reflects the social and cultural changes of the time.
- The novel is told in a straightforward, unadorned style. Williams’s prose is spare and elegant, and it perfectly captures the understated nature of Stoner’s character.
- The novel is not without its flaws. The plot is somewhat slow-paced, and the characters are not always fully developed. However, these flaws are minor compared to the novel’s many strengths.
- Stoner is a classic American novel that has been praised by critics and readers alike. It is a moving and thought-provoking story about the human condition.
Discussion Questions for Stoner
- Was it an enjoyable book to read?
- The first paragraph gives us an outline of Stoner’s unremarkable life. The second tells us how little he is remembered by his colleagues. Is this a fair summary of his life? Did you find yourself referring back to it? Was it annoying to know that nothing earth-shattering would happen?
- In the introduction the author is quoted as saying that he considered Stoner to be a hero. Do you agree?
- The book gives details of the early life of several of the characters: Stoner, Edith, Grace and Lomax. Are their adult characters determined by their upbringing/parents? Can their fate in life be seen as a result of their early family life?
- There are various turning points in the novel, where Stoner could have taken a different path. Did he take control of his life or did he suffer from inertia and simply allow things to happen to him?
- Should he have chosen differently and do his choices (if they can be considered choices) show weakness of strength of character?
- Do you think Stoner was a good father to Grace?
- Did you find the character of Edith believable? Could you empathise with her? Was she deliberately conducting a “war” with Stoner?
- Several people die in the course of the novel, some of old age, some violently and in varying degrees of grace. How do you think Stoner’s own death shaped-up?
- Is stoicism still considered to be good thing in the 21st century?
- Was the period in which the novel was set important to the story?
- Why do you think the novel was so overlooked when it was originally published in 1965?
Individual Ratings
DKB's Rating 
EmmaT's Rating
Baljit's Rating 
John's Rating
Catherine's Rating
Sue's Rating